


Parallels

by artificialghoul



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Fluff, Investigator!Hide, M/M, Trans Male Character, Trans!Hide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-01 07:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4011094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificialghoul/pseuds/artificialghoul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of HideHaise shorts for HideHaise Week on tumblr. All featuring trans!Hide because why not.</p><p>1. Keeping Secrets<br/>2. Hospital Visits<br/>3. Coffee Dates<br/>4. Sharing Music<br/>5. Hair Dying<br/>6. Staying Up Late Reading</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One: Keeping Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hide has something to tell Haise, and he's afraid of how Haise will react.

Hide took a deep breath and tried to ignore the way his hands shook as he carried the two cups of coffee into his living room. 

Haise was curled into the corner of Hide’s couch, nose buried in a book. He glanced up with a smile when Hide held out a cup for him, but his smile fell when he saw his friend’s face.

“Hide, is everything alright?” he asked, frowning.

“Haise,” Hide began, looking down into his cup to avoid meeting Haise’s eyes, and risking losing his nerve. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Haise heard the gravity in Hide’s voice, and closed his book to set it on the arm of the couch. He waited patiently, silently, for Hide to calm his breathing and speak.

“I really like you and, I want our relationship to – I don’t know. I – I want this to work. But, there’s something you need to know.” Haise listened attentively as Hide stumbled over his words, and Hide’s heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. He couldn’t remember ever being so nervous in his life. He wanted to believe that Haise wouldn’t care – he hadn’t cared before. But he couldn’t help the fear that had wrapped itself around his heart.  _What if he cared this time?_

He shook his head, told himself he needed to trust Haise more. Then he took a deep breath, and decided to just say it. 

“I’m trans.”

The silence was a roar in Hide’s ears. He risked glancing up, and wasn’t sure if he regretted that decision.

Haise blinked at him, expression blank. “Oh,” he said finally.

Hide fidgeted, looking down at the coffee still in his hands, growing more uncomfortable by the second. His ability to read Haise’s mannerisms was usually a blessing, but right now, it was just a glaring reminder of how off-guard he’d caught Haise. 

Maybe he should have brought it up sooner. But when would have been a good time? The day Haise met him? While they were working any of their cases together? When they’d gone on their first date?

The time had never seemed right, and now Hide was cursing himself for waiting so long, and wondering if Haise was angry with him for not saying something sooner, or –

“Okay.”

Hide’s eyes shot back up to Haise’s face, and he drank in the easy smile that had spread across his features.

“O-okay?” Hide stuttered.

Haise reached out to pull one of Hide’s hands up to his lips, and pressed a gentle kiss to his knuckles.

“Okay,” he repeated, still wearing that full, warm smile. “Nothing’s changed.”

Hide felt tears pricking in his eyes and nervous, relieved laughter bubbling up his throat.

Of course, he thought to himself. Of course, he’d been worried for nothing. He should have known Haise better than that.

Haise pressed his lips to Hide’s hand again, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Hide squeezed back, wondering not for the first time how he’d been lucky enough to end up with someone like Haise.


	2. Day Two: Hospital Visits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haise visits Hide in the hospital after a mission.

Haise knocked twice on the door to announce his presence, then pushed it open.

Hide rushed to pull up his blankets and cross his arms over his chest when the door began to open, and Haise frowned in confusion. But Hide visibly relaxed when he saw who’d entered the room, and smiled broadly when Haise pulled up a chair beside his bed.

“How is it?” Haise asked, studying Hide’s features and the bandages wrapped around his head and arm.

“Oh, you know. The usual. Nothing broken. They say I’ll be out tomorrow,” Hide replied with a cheeky grin.

And then Haise realized why Hide had crossed his arms when Haise first entered the room. The blankets he’d pulled over himself didn’t hide the small swell of his chest.

“They won’t let me wear my binder until I’m discharged,” Hide explained.

“Oh,” Haise replied after a moment. “I see.”

Hide snorted. “I noticed that.”

Haise flushed, realizing he’d been staring, and stuttered to apologize, but Hide only laughed.

“It’s fine, Haise. I was just hoping the first time you saw me without it would be a bit more romantic,” he sighed.

Haise stared down at his feet, positive that he couldn’t blush any darker. “I haven’t seen anything yet,” he tried.

“Haise,” Hide drawled, and Haise  _did not_  like the teasing tone in his voice. “Are you hitting on me while I’m lying injured in a hospital bed?”

Haise was wrong. His cheeks were burning, and he buried his face in his hands. “Hide,” he whined. “I didn’t mean –”

Hide laughed again. “I liked it,” he teased. 

Haise peeked up at him through his fingers, and finally lowered his hands when he saw Hide’s sincere smile.

“Why do you do this to me?” Haise groaned.

“You’re so cute when you blush,” Hide answered brightly, reaching out to grasp Haise’s hand.

Haise looked away in embarrassment, but let Hide pull his hand towards him and press it to his lips. His heart fluttered, and he thought that maybe the embarrassment was worth it for the way Hide was beaming at him right now.


	3. Day Three: Coffee Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hide makes Haise coffee. (Also technically this was a day two prompt but I wanted to write this prompt too so oh well. Now my days are out of order.)

Haise awoke to sunlight shining on his face and the smell of coffee under his nose.

He opened his eyes, blinking and squinting in the bright light, and automatically reached out to Hide’s side of the bed to –

Haise frowned. Hide’s side of the bed was empty and cold. But, Hide never woke before him. 

Haise sat up and rubbed his tired eyes, glancing around their bedroom, but Hide was nowhere in sight.

He threw back the sheets, determined to go find Hide, just as the bedroom door swung open. 

“Morning, sleepyhead!” Hide greeted happily, and Haise couldn’t help but smile back.

“Good morning,” he replied, trying to stifle a yawn.

Hide smiled even brighter, and plopped down next to Haise on the bed. Which was when Haise noticed the source of that delicious coffee smell.

“You made coffee?” Haise asked skeptically as Hide held out a cup.

“I wanted to do something nice for you!” Hide explained. “Like, breakfast in bed, or something. But, you don’t exactly eat breakfast, so I figured coffee was the next best thing.”

Haise looked down at his cup, too surprised by the gesture to respond.

“Hey, you’re not afraid to try my coffee, are you?” Hide joked when Haise didn’t reply. “I know I wasn’t that great before, but I’ve been practicing, and I think I’ve gotten pretty –”

“Hide,” Haise interrupted, glancing back up at him. “Thank you.”

Hide smiled, that bright, warm smile that still made Haise’s stomach flutter after all this time. “I wanted to thank you. You’ve been so… I wanted to show you how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’re always so wonderful to me, and so supportive, and I…”

“Hide, if this is about your gender, you don’t need to thank me for that.”

“No – I mean, yeah, but I was still – that’s not the only thing,” Hide stumbled, blushing and trying to find the words to express himself better. “It’s more than that. You’ve accepted everything about me, and you’ve helped me in ways I don’t think you even realize. You mean so much to me and I… I just wanted to do something to show you how much I appreciate you.”

It was Haise’s turn to blush, and he turned back to the cup of coffee in his hands. “Hide, I don’t… I feel the same about you. You’re the most important person in my life. I don’t know what I would do without you. I…” He trailed off, and from his tone of voice, Hide could tell he was tearing up.

“Hey!” Hide interrupted, and Haise’s eyes were back on him, back on his wide, infectious smile. “You’re not gonna let your coffee get cold, are you? After I went through all the trouble of making it for you?”

Haise smiled back, tears clearing away, and nodded. “Thank you,” he said again, and lifted the mug to his lips.

He didn’t think he’d ever tasted a better cup of coffee.


	4. Day Four: Sharing Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haise wants to play a song for Hide.

“Hide, can I play a song for you?” Haise asked, a rare nervousness causing his voice to waver.

Hide had gotten used to Haise’s new mannerisms quickly, and had grown to like his newfound confidence in himself. So whenever he heard that old insecure tone, Hide felt uneasy.

“Sure,” Hide replied easily. “What is it?”

Haise held out an earbud. “It’s a song I heard the other day. I don’t know why but, it made me think of you. I thought you’d like it.”

Hide smiled and put the earbud in his ear. “Then of course I want to hear it.”

Haise grinned back nervously, and put the other earbud in his own ear, then pressed play on his phone.

The song was upbeat, lighthearted, and the lyrics were in English. Hide recognized the song immediately, and felt a pang in his chest.

“Do you like it?” Haise asked after a minute, that nervousness still clinging to his voice.

Hide nodded enthusiastically, eager to reassure him. “I love it,” he answered, and he wasn’t lying.

“Uh, I don’t know what the lyrics are saying, but I like the way it sounds,” Haise explained, and Hide was relieved to hear his confidence returning.

“It’s a love song,” Hide teased with a grin. “Very fitting, Haise.”

The other investigator sighed, and Hide cackled at Haise’s answering blush.

He’d been the one to introduce this song to Haise, so long ago, in another life.

He smiled, feeling bittersweet. They’d gone through so much together – good, bad, in between. Hide’s transition and coming out, Haise’s family history, going through their entrance exams, Haise’s first terrible date and everything that came after. All those things that Haise had forgotten, and new memories they’d built since then. They’d come so far to finally arrive where they were now.

Things were hardly perfect as they were. They both risked their lives doing their work for the CCG. Haise still struggled with himself, with his memories. And their past seemed desperate to catch up with them.

Hide leaned his head against Haise’s shoulder, felt Haise wrap an arm around him and squeeze lightly, and his heart lightened. Because despite all that, Hide knew they’d be okay.

They’d been through so much, after all. They could endure whatever waited ahead. And they would do it together.


	5. Day Five: Hair Dying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A moment for just the two of them.

The acrid smell of hair bleach filled Hide's tiny bathroom, and made Haise's nose wrinkle in disgust. But, despite the burning in his nostrils, Haise couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be at this moment.

He was perched on a small stool in the center of the room. Hide sat between Haise's legs, humming happily to himself, and all Haise could think about was how cute he looked. He was slouched over, cross-legged on the floor, wearing some exercise shorts and his old binder, which didn't quite fit anymore. 

He looked comfortable. Not just because of the way he was sitting. But because Haise was struck by the thought that no one else saw Hide like this: on the bathroom floor, wearing ratty old clothes, without a shirt covering his binder, and with bleach in his hair. This was a side of Hide that he didn't share with others, and the intimacy inherent in this moment made Haise's heart clench.

Hide turned, glancing over his shoulder, and when his eyes met Haise's, he smiled brightly.

"You still with me?" Hide joked, and Haise flushed when he realized he'd stopped working and had just been staring silently at Hide for... he wasn't even sure how long.

"Uh, sorry," he muttered, and busied himself with his work again.

He separated another section of Hide's hair, and painted his brown roots with the dye brush. When Hide had first asked Haise to help him bleach his hair at home, Haise had been reluctant. But, now he found he enjoyed it. He liked the methodical way he needed to apply the bleach, in careful, even amounts and to small sections of hair at a time. And he enjoyed any time he spent with Hide, just the two of them. 

Haise applied the last of the bleach to Hide's hair, and placed the brush down carefully into the bowl of dye. He pulled a plastic cap around Hide's head, careful to ensure it covered all areas with bleach, and then leaned back to remove his gloves.

"There," Haise declared triumphantly. "It's done."

"Great!" Hide replied, spinning to face Haise. "Now we just have to wait for the bleach to work its magic."

He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Haise's lips. "Thanks again!" Hide exclaimed. "This beats going to a shop and paying a ton of money to have someone else do it. Plus, you're way cuter than any stylist who's ever dyed my hair."

Haise flushed. "You always say things like that."

"Because it's true!" Hide replied easily, leaning his head against Haise's knee.

They sat there in silence, just enjoying each other's company, until Haise checked his watch, and noticed it was time to wash the bleach from Hide's hair. With a playful pout, Hide pulled away as Haise reached for the shower head.

Hide leaned his head back to rest his neck on the edge of the bathtub, eyes closed, and Haise raised the shower head to wet his hair. He added shampoo, and worked it gently through Hide's hair, Haise was careful to keep the water from running into Hide's eyes or face, and massaged Hide's scalp as he rinsed his head and washed away the bleach. Hide continued his humming, smiling to himself as Haise worked, and Haise thought, not for the first time, that Hide was beautiful.

Yes, Hide was attractive, that much was obvious. But, it wasn't his physical features that made him beautiful. It was the way he lit up when he smiled. The way his eyes seemed to shine brightest when the corners crinkled when he grinned. And the way his smile could infect Haise with such ease.

Haise placed the shower head back in its holder when he was done, and picked up a towel to gently dry Hide's hair. 

"I love you," Hide sighed, and Haise's hands stilled for a moment. No matter how many times Hide said it, Haise's heart still fluttered in his chest when he heard it. 

Before Haise could respond, Hide had leapt to his feet, and was pulling Haise by the hands toward their bedroom.

"Let me show you how much," Hide said with a grin.

Haise was more than happy to let him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [shows up to finish HideHaise week a month late with a ridiculous chapter, please forgive me]


	6. Day Six: Staying Up Late Reading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haise frequently tries to work too hard, but fortunately Hide is there to distract him.

Hide huffed, blowing the long fringe of his hair away from his eyes. He'd read this report over and over again, but there was still something missing, something off about this case, and he couldn't quite figure it out.

Across the couch, beneath Hide's outstretched legs, Haise stared unhappily at his own documents for their case. He held his papers close to his face, brows furrowed as he read over his notes.

This wasn't the first case to keep the investigators up all night, but it was certainly the most frustrating one to do so. At least with their other cases, they were able to make progress after an all-nighter. With this case, Hide felt just as lost as when they'd started -- a feeling Hide absolutely hated. They'd begun working hours ago, and the only things that had changed were that now, his eyes burned from staring at reports and his head hurt from lack of sleep.

"I give up," Hide exclaimed, tossing the report to the ground. 

Haise jumped at the sudden noise, lowering his own report to give Hide a bewildered look. "But, there's still so much of this case we have to --"

Hide sat upright, leaning forward to pluck the case notes from Haise's hands and set it down gently on the coffee table -- he knew Haise wouldn't appreciate Hide treating his papers with the same disdain he gave his own. 

Haise frowned at him, but Hide just leaned forward again to press a soft kiss to his lips. "We aren't going to make any more progress tonight," Hide murmured, stifling a yawn.

"But I think I'm close to figuring out this ghoul's pattern," Haise sputtered to argue.

Hide leaned forward to cut him off with another kiss. "You work too hard," he murmured. "It's not healthy. You deserve a break --" another yawn interrupted him "-- and so do I."

Haise continued frowning, eying the notes Hide had set on the table and muttering something about work ethic. But when Hide stood from the couch and stretched, he caught Haise's eyes wandering down the curve of his spine.

"Isn't there something you'd rather do?" Hide sighed, raising his hands high over his head as he stretched further, and watching Haise's eyes dart down to the exposed skin of Hide's stomach.

"Hm, I suppose I can think of a few things." Haise shot him a cheeky grin, and Hide knew he'd won. 

"Glad you think I'm more alluring than those boring case notes," Hide joked.

Haise frowned again -- this time in mock exasperation -- but didn't complain when Hide moved to settle in his lap.

Hide wrapped his arms around Haise's neck, and Haise's hands fell to Hide's hips as Hide lowered his head to press their lips together once more.

Haise sighed happily against Hide's lips, and he felt Hide's answering grin. He wrapped his arms around Hide's waist, pulling him closer, and felt the weight on his shoulders lessen as thoughts of their case slipped away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will finish this series if it kills me.


End file.
